“I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise…
Month: April 2019
Genesis 39
We catch up with Joseph, who was sold into slavery by his older brothers. Joseph is purchased from the traders by a high-ranking Egyptian official named Potiphar. “When [Potiphar] saw that the Lord was with [Joseph] and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became…
Psalm 39
This is an incredibly humbling Psalm from a very wise David (potentially written later in his life). “I said, ‘I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin; I will put a muzzle on my mouth while in the presence of the wicked.’ So I remained utterly silent, not even saying anything good….
Genesis 38
Once more, this chapter proves that truth can be stranger than fiction. It follows Judah, Israel’s fourth son, and his initial lineage. It’s convoluted, so I will attempt to summarize. Judah marries a Canaanite woman who bears him three sons, Er, Onan, and Shelah. Judah finds a wife for Er, named Tamar, but God “puts…
Psalm 38
“Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath. Your arrows have pierced me, and your hand has come down on me. Because of your wrath there is no health in my body; there is no soundness in my bones because of my sin. My guilt has overwhelmed me like…
Genesis 37
Joseph, Israel’s eleventh son, was his father’s favorite. Israel made a special robe for Joseph. Since his father loved Joseph more than the other 11, it says his brothers hated him. “[Joseph] said to them, ‘Listen to this dream I had: We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf…
Psalm 37
This Psalm has three main themes that are repeated throughout. Theme 1 – Those who do evil will not last: “Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.” (v1-2) This…
Genesis 36
It’s a little tough to find a takeaway in this chapter, it is a genealogy and account of kings/chiefs of the land of Esau (that is, Edom). “Esau took his wives from the women of Canaan: Adah daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Oholibamah daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite – also…
Psalm 36
This Psalm offers quite the contrast of two themes. “I have a message from God in my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: There is no fear of God before their eyes. In their own eyes they flatter themselves too much to detect or hate their sin. The words of their mouths are wicked…
Genesis 35
There are too many details in this chapter to cover them all. “Then God said to Jacob, ‘Go up to Bethel and settle there, and build an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you were fleeing from your brother Esau.’ … After Jacob returned [to Bethel] from Paddan Aram, God appeared to…